SOVIET HBOMB

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27165, 8 October 1953, Page 11

SOVIET HBOMB

U.S. Doubts Over Development (Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Oct. 6. The Secretary of Defence (Mr Charles Wilson) said today that he doubted whether the Soviet Union already had a hydrogen weapon for use now, or would be in a position to wage a hydrogen bomb ‘war in less than three years. Mr Wilson told a press conference that he thought the Russians were “three or four years back of us” in atomic weapons development. “So, to say they nave a hydrogen bpmb ready to drop and the aeroplanes ready to drop them, is perhaps stretching it a bit,” he added. He said the United States had made its first hydrogen explosive -tests some time ago. Discussing Soviet atomic capabilities, Mr Wilson made it plain he was thinking of ability to wage sustained hydrogen bomb warfare. “The Russians are certainly not going to deliver one bomb with one plane and have nothing to back it up,” he said. Asked about the Soviet Union’s longrange planes, Mr Wilson commented: “You are giving credit for some bombs which I do. not think they have.” His estimate of Soviet hydrogen bomb development was based on the ordinary cycle of development of new products. U.S. Capabilities Asked whether the United States had yet reached the position of being able to deliver a hydrogen bomb on Soviet territory, Mr Wilson refused to comment, and told correspondents to do their own guessing. Mr Wilson was asked how he reconciled his view on Soviet developments with the warnings from the former Atomic Energy Commission chairman (Mr Gordon Dean) that the United States had only about a year to counter the Soviet’s nuclear weapons. “Perhaps I am a bit factual,’* Mr Wilson replied. He explained that he felt he had received better intelligence reports than Mr Dean, who had been out of office for some time. Mr Wilson made his statements after reporters had sought to clear up the confusion caused by the recent contradictory statements by three high officials on the state of the Soviet Union’s hydrogen bomb stockpile. Mr Sterling Cole, chairman of the Congressional Atomic Energy Committee, had said that the Soviet Union nad “H-bombs—plural.** Mr Vai Peterson, the Civil Defence Administrator, had said he was “assuming” that neither the Soviet Union nor the United States “has the hydrogen bomb yet.” Mr Arthur Fleming, the Defence Mobilisation Director, said the Soviet Union was now capable of delivering the “most destructive weapon ever devised by man.” He first said he meant hydrogen bombs, and then later said he had not intended to credit the Soviet Union with a hydrogen bomb stockpile.